Ferguson-Brown
The Ferguson-Brown joint venture started selling tractors in 1936 based on Harry Ferguson's Ideas and built by the David Brown company Ltd of Huddersfield in England. History Harry Ferguson built a prototype tractor in Belfast called "The Black Tractor". It served as the model for the Ferguson-Brown Model A. The Black Tractor used an American built Hercules engine. In 1934, in partnership with engineer David Brown & Harry Ferguson formed the Ferguson-Brown Company and they produced the first Ferguson-Brown Model A tractor in 1936. This was a light weight tractor using many aluminium parts to keep the weight of the tractor similar to that of a horse as to aviod soil compaction. Fitted with a Ferguson-designed hydraulic system. Ferguson surmised that the tractor hitch was the key to having a better plough and a simpler tractor attachment for it. This was the first tractor to have an OEM three point hitch system. He had spent 30 years developing his ideas. The early production models had a Coventry Climax Model E engine, with the latter ones having David Browns own engine fitted, which was a improved copy of the Model E after Coventry Climax discontinued production. (The early Coventry Climax engines used a shallow oil sump pan, this resulted in oil stavation to the crankshaft bearings during hillside work. A number of the 1st Ferguson Model A's were demostrated and sold in the Scottish highlands. As a result earlier tractors can be found today with later David Brown built engines after they had been returned to the factory under warranty for replacment engines). The Model A tractor was built with an alloy gear box and Bell housing body to keep weight down, as one of Fergusons ideas was that the tractor should be light. Some were built with stronger alloy casings after breakages, but Ferguson would not swap to a cheaper (& stronger) steel casting to cure the problem. The Ferguson-Brown was expensive against the rival machines such as the Fordsons, as special implements were required to operate with it, rather than the old horse drawn ones that could be used with the other makes. David Brown decided to re design the tractor to reduce costs, but did not consult with Ferguson who had gone to America, this caused a rift between them. One design change that David Brown made was to add a combined PTO - Belt pulley. This was opposed by Ferguson. It is not known how many of the Model As had this feature. Ferguson Ford Partnership Henry Ford had started building tractors in 1917 but these early machines did not have the hydraulic mounting for implements that were later to be a feature of the Ferguson TE20 series tractors, they just pulled with the draw bar which could if the plough struck an obstruction result in the tractor rearing up and over turning, in some cases killing the driver. Harry Ferguson started developing his three point hitch system to solve this problem and tried unsuccessfully to interest Henry Ford in partnering with him. In 1938 Harry Ferguson went to see Henry Ford and demonstrate his new system to him. A plowing (us) competition was staged in Dearborn in America between a Ferguson-Brown Model A with 3 point hitch plough (UK) that Ferguson had shipped to America and a Fordson Model F pulling a trailing plow (US). The Ferguson-Brown outplowed the Fordson Model F. This Model A is the one now displayed in The Henry Ford Museum. Following this demonstration Harry Ferguson made a handshake agreement with Henry Ford to produce "Ferguson System" Ford tractors incorporating his idea. Henry Ford then started building Ford tractors using the Ferguson linkage and jointly developed the Ford Model 9N, also known as the Ford-Ferguson tractor. Harry Ferguson set up a plant in western Detroit to supply the hydraulic systems for these tractors. The Ford-Ferguson 9N and the David Brown VAK1 are both based on the Ferguson-Brown Model A. Both models have a rear mounted Power Take Off (PTO). The Ferguson-Brown Model A on display at The Henry Ford Museum does not. The End Of Ferguson Brown This resulted in Ferguson terminating his agreement with David Brown, on his return to England on the grounds that Brown had broken the agreement, by design changes introduced whilst he was in America. So in 1939 David Brown introduced the VAK1 tractor. This tractor had been in development in secret at the factory incorporating David Browns updated ideas and changes based on feedback from customers/users of the first tractors. Model Range and Preserved examples * Ferguson-Brown Model A was the only model built, with slight variations. Such as engine and the HD Casting. It had a * A total of 1356 were Built between 1936 and 1939. "The Black Tractor" prototype was built in 1934. * It has been claimed that as many as 200 survive !! (If you know of any please ad details to the list with a photo) Category:Tractor manufacturers of the United Kingdom Category:Defunct companies of the United Kingdom Category:Tractor brands Category:Defunct Tractor manufacturers Category:Companies of the United Kingdom Category:Ferguson-Brown Category:Tractors built in the United Kingdom Category:20 hp tractors See also * David Brown * Fordson * Massey Ferguson * Shows and Meets * List of Collections Reference External links *http://www.dbtc.co.uk/ - David Brown Tractor Club *http://www.fergusonclub.com/ - The Ferguson Tractor Club Category:Tractor manufacturers of the United Kingdom Category:Defunct companies of the United Kingdom Category:Tractor brands Category:Defunct Tractor manufacturers Category:Companies of the United Kingdom Category:Ferguson-Brown Category:Tractors built in the United Kingdom Category:20 hp tractors